The Takedown
by chloewren
Summary: When Stephanie goes undercover to catch a dangerous skip, Ranger and the guys plan a military type mission. Will it be enough to keep Steph safe on the takedown?
1. Chapter 1

The Takedown-Part 1

This story came into my head when I read a book about a sniper. I love Ranger , and especially my Merry men. Let me know if you like it or hate it. Please leave reviews.

Ram lay flat on his belly, the cold from the cement rooftop leaching through even the Kevlar and wool camouflage he wore. His dark head was bent over the large SigSauer 300 sniper rifle with the Leupold 3-9x 50mm variable scope. He held the rifle steady against his shoulder and lay, unmoving, barely even breathing, his attention focused on the site of his rifle, particularly the man in the crosshairs. He wasn't worried about the thick glass on the window. Use the right ammunition and it would be as if the glass didn't even exist.

It was dark, but the office building was lit up as bright as day. Ram could see in the darkness, but it hid him from view. Even if the man in his rifle scope turned his way, he'd never spot Ram. That was how it was supposed to be. Ram was the best sniper there was- that's why he worked for Rangeman. Ranger only employed the best of the best.

All the guys who worked for Ranger were cross-trained in all skill areas, thanks to their Special Forces training. They were all good with firearms, hand to hand, medical training, etc. But each man had a specialty that he was the best at. For Bobby it was his paramedic skills, for Lester it was explosives, Tank had his driving skills, for Ranger it was hand to hand combat, for Ram, it was sharpshooting. He was simply the best there was. Anywhere. He lay, still, so still that anyone who saw him might have even thought him dead. But he was very much alive, and focused on the scene he was observing in his scope.

Ram kept the man in the crosshairs of his rifle, his huge, powerful hands carefully turning the scope as the man moved slightly. "Sniper one, standing by. Male subject visible through window 10 stories up, west side of building, third window from left. Male is about 5 feet from window.I have a clean shot." He spoke softly into the radio, his voice barely a whisper, as he had been trained in Special Forces, even though there was no one around anywhere to hear. He heard Woody's voice, " 10-4 sniper one. Stand by."

He knew the mission, he had his orders. He couldn't think about the fact that Stephanie would soon be in the deserted office building with a convicted rapist, that he cared about her and would die before he let anything happen to her. No, he couldn't protect her if he let it be personal. He couldn't think about the situation, he just had to react the way he'd been trained to. He had to distance himself from his affection for her, from the fact that his friend Ranger was in love with her. If he was to do his job and protect her efficiently and effectively, he had to divorce himself from any feeling or emotion.

She would simply be the female subject and Cruinsy was the male subject. Ram's job was to take out the male subject if he endangered the female subject. It was that simple. Ram lay still and kept focused on the scene in the tiny circle of the rifle scope. As much as he tried to divorce himself from the feeling, he couldn't shut off the worry. They should never have let Steph go into the building with a convicted rapist and possible murderer.

Woody listened intently to the various radios and plotted the mission on the board in front of him. He knew that Ram was sniper on the roof of the building about 100 yards opposite the target building, Bobby and Lester were in the hallway just outside the office, Tank , Binkie, and Zip were in the lobby of the building. He, Woody , was in the Rangeman offices coordinating the whole mission. So far , everything was going as planned. Hector Cruinsey, convicted rapist and now FTA, possibly murderer, had holed up in his office building. At least one night a week, cruinsey ordered the services of a escort service- not to go anywhere, just to satisfy his perverted little fantasies. Cruinsey had friends in the Trenton PD and the media, so Rangeman had to be careful how they apprehended him. Since he was a high profile FTA they couldn't just barge into his office and take him by force. They had to use a more subtle approach. No one really wanted to, but they had to use Stephanie. She would pretend to be an employee of the escort service and try to get Cuinsey out of his office, where he could quietly be taken by the guys.

Stephanie had wanted to do this as soon as she had heard about the case. She thought it would be an adventure. The guys were really reluctant to use her, it was too dangerous, and the situation was too unpredictable. They had called Ranger, who had vehemently refused permission to involve Stephanie in the mission, deeming it too dangerous. He didn't want Steph anywhere near a convicted rapist. But Stephanie had other ideas. She told Ranger that if he didn't let her do it, she would go by herself. After all, the bond money she would get would pay her rent for several months. Steph was brave, but she lacked the skills to do this job. She was afraid of guns, for Christsakes, how was she supposed to defend herself? But the more they argued with her, the more stubborn she got.

Ranger knew that she would do whatever the hell she wanted to, so they might as well let her do the takedown with Rangeman , so they could keep her safe. Well, relatively safe, Woody thought to himself. There was no way Steph, or any woman, could be completely safe in the same room as Cruinsey.

So, they had been cautious, very cautious, about the mission. There were seven guys stationed on and around that building, Ram on the opposite roof as a sniper, even guys on the balcony, ready to crash in if necessary. The orders were twofold. Take down Cruinsey, but, more importantly, keep Steph safe. The guys were to let Steph do her stuff, but had orders to intervene at the slightest indication that Steph swould be hurt. They had even given Steph a code word to use in case she got into trouble and needed help.-" lizard." Any of the guys even THOUGHT they heard her say lizard and they were to move in immediately.

Woody sighed. It was as safe as they could make it, but it still wasn't totally safe for her. In the incredibly skimpy outfit she was wearing, Cruinsey might be able to detect the wire. Steph's black slinky dress was so low cut, the skirt barely covered her butt, so it had been hard to place the wire so that it would be unseen. Woody himself had helped tape it to her chest, her cleavage enhanced with a Wonderbra that made her breasts look huge. His large hands had trembled as he had helped tape the wire in the valley between her breasts, with the tiny mike just below her left breast. He had looked down her top from all angles to be sure it wouldn't be visible to Cruinsey. Damn. He'd never seen Steph look like that. Shit. Ranger was a lucky bastard. Woody was getting a hardon just seeing her breasts pushed up against the fabric of the black dress, the bottom of her ass peeking out from the skimpy skirt, and the four inch stiletto heels enhancing those long legs. Damn. Woody got pissed just thinking that that fucker Cruinsey would do more than look. If he laid a hand on Steph… he had to calm down. He was responsible for this mission. He couldn't let anything happen to her.

All the guys had earpieces and could pick up the audio feed from Steph's wire. Ram listened to her soft voice, almost covered by a soft pounding noise. " Sniper One to control, possible equipment defect. Hearing muffled noise from wire." Woody checked his earpiece. He heard the same thing. Shit, was the wire not working? Fuck. " Testing.. Come in Steph." Woody heard the muffled pounding as Steph answered his call. He remembered placing the wire, and instantly knew that the muffled sound was her racing heart. " Control to all units. Mike is ok. Noise is organic." Ram chuckled as he realized what that meant. The sensitive mike was placed right over Steph's heart and they could hear it racing with her nervousness. Ram's heart would have been racing too, but he was trained to control his nervousness, and not allow it to affect his body.

He knew Steph was scared, and she had reason to be. Cruinsey was a really bad guy. Ram's fingers tightened on the rifle sight ,his index finger resting lightly on the trigger. He saw Cruinsey's head turn as Stephanie, in her slinky black dress, her heart racing, came through the door.

"Sniper one. Female subject spotted. Mission go."


	2. Chapter 2

The Takedown-Part 2

Once again, I ask (beg?) for reviews, as they are what keeps the muse going and the ideas flowing. Hope you like it.

Part 2

"Ok, guys, here goes," Steph whispered into the mike as she walked towards the most dangerous as FTA she had ever faced. She felt her heart race and tried not to let her knees wobble, taking confidence in Woody's response, '10-4, we've got you covered. Good luck sweetie." The receptionist had let her in on the way out for the evening. She gave Steph a look of disapproval as they passed each other.

As Steph crossed the room towards the heavyset, oily-looking man, she tried not to cringe. Just his leer made her want to bathe in bleach. Yuck. She kept the look of disgust off her face and sidled up to him, waiting expectantly.

Ram watched Steph enter the room through the site on his rifle. The first thing he thought of was how fucking hot she looked in the dress. He could feel the mound rise in his pants, an uncontrollable reaction to seeing her. It happened with all the guys. Unlike Cruinsey, however, none of the guys would ever act on their feelings of arousal for Steph. Ram grimaced and tried not to think about that pervert's hands on Steph. He shook himself mentally. His job wasn't to notice how hot Steph looked, his job was to keep her safe.

Ram lay preternaturally still, his large fingers making minute adjustments to the scope as he tracked Cruinsey's every movement. Ram listened carefully to the audio coming from Steph's wire, her voice almost overpowered by the soft pounding. She sauntered over to Cruinsey, " Hi, I'm Tami, what can I do for you?", he heard her say in a sultry voice. "Look , bitch, I don't care what the fuck your name is. I don't want any conversation, just do what the hell I tell you to." He handed her a wad of bills, and drooled as Steph provocatively put the bills in the waistband of her miniscule skirt. Ram felt his hands tense at the way Cruinsey drooled as he looked at Steph's body. Ram forced his hands to unbunch and replaced his finger lightly on the trigger.

He turned his attention back to the scene in the scope. Fuck!, he whispered to himself. " Sniper One- target blocked by female subject- no longer have clear shot," he whispered into his radio. Dammit, Steph had unwittingly positioned herself between the window and Cruinsey, thereby blocking Ram's shot. It was a rookie mistake on Steph's part, but it prevented Ram from taking Cruinsey out if needed. "Comeon sweetie, move," he thought as he followed the audio from her wire.

" Hey, baby. What did you have in mind? ", Woody heard "Tami" say through the mike. He cringed. Steph was so sweet and white bread, she had no idea how to sound like a professional hooker. Not that Woody ever needed a hooker, but he did know what they sounded like. He did watch porn, after all. Hopefully, Cruinsey would be so busy drooling over Steph that he wouldn't notice. Woody followed the conversation carefully, knowing that Steph's safety was his call.

Everyone on the mission could hear Steph, but only Ram and Junior, on the balcony, had visual. So they were interrupting the audio to tell the others what was going on. Junior watched as Cruinesey, ran his hands up and down Steph's arm, then he fondled her ass through the tiny skirt. Junior caught the fleeting look of disgust on Steph's face as Cruinsey fondled her. He noticed that the soft pounding of her heart on the audio sped up and mixed with the rustling of her clothes as Cruinsey continued to grope her. " Male subject is getting touchy," Junior reported over the mike to the others. He cringed as Steph grabbed the drink that Cruinsey had given her. That wasn't good. Steph did not hold liquor well. But she had to drink to keep up the cover. "Female subject drinking one drink." He could almost imagine the guys' collective groaning over that one. Junior watched the scene unfold as Steph tired to lure the FTA towards the door.

"Hey, sugar, lets go do it in the elevator. Elevators really turn me on," "Tami" leaned in and purred into Cruinsey's ear as his hand traveled under her skirt. Ram watched as Steph took his hand and tried to pull him towards the door. He noticed something odd just as Bobby commented. "She must really be scared. Her heart is racing and she is practically gasping. She's been drinking." Leave it to Bobby to notice. Ram watched Steph chug down the rest of the drink quickly- probably for courage- as Cruinsey's. fingers started moving everywhere. Steph seemed to have to work hard to keep a grimace off her face when Cruinsey touched her. So why did her breathing get ragged, like she was enjoying it? Maybe it had been such a long time since she'd had any that even Cruinsey's touch would do it. Plus, she was probably terrified that he'd find the wire.

Steph had Cruinsey about halfway across the office towards the door when he grabbed her and pinned her against the wall, his slobbery face inches from her neck, his hands running up her skirt. Junior was completely disgusted. He watched that fucker fondle her, and wished she would say "lizard" so that he'd have an excuse to bust in there and pound that fucker. If Ranger was here, the fucking pervert would be dead already. Steph tried to act like she was enjoying that fucker's hands lingering on her shoulders, but she was terrified, her heart galloping and her breathing raspy.

Ram's finger twitched on the trigger as he watched Cruinsey's lips slobber all over Steph's neck and shoulders. He couldn't remember ever wanting to blow someone's brains out as much as he did that fucker Cruinsey. He had a clear shot again, but not a good one. There was the possibility that if he shot Cruinsey, the bullet could go through his head into Steph. "Sniper one, shot clear but compromised." he reported.

Junior watched as Steph pried Cruinsey's hands from her ass and away from the wall. "Comeon, lets hit the elevator" he heard her say over the increased interference. Her face shone with a slight sheen of sweat from her nervousness. Damn. That would only encourage Cruinsey. Guys loved the thought of sweaty sex with women, it was hot. Shit. He noticed Steph stumble and almost fall as she headed for the door. She wasn't usually that clumsy- she must really be nervous.

Through the binocular lens of his rifle scope, Ram saw the stumble and noticed that Steph was even trembling. Fuck he hated this. He heard Junior on the radio, " Female subject stumbling and unsteady, sweaty. Bobby, is she just really scared or is something wrong with her?" Steph was well known for not holding liquor well, and in those damn sexy stilettos, well, makes sense she might stumble. Bobby really didn't know.

Steph was freaking out that she couldn't get this smarmy asshole out of the office. It was all she could do to keep from retching when he touched her. And if he got any more touchy feely, he was going to find the wire. She kept the grimace off her face as Cruinsey's hand dove under her skirt again. Shit. She was seriously regretting this now. She wanted to spend a month bathing in bleach, plus, she was feeling really weird. She must be more nervous than she thought, because her heart was racing so hard she could feel it and she was practically gasping for air. Shit. She'd only had one drink. Or was this an anxiety attack? Fuck. She pulled away from Cruinsey, grabbing his skanky hand and heading for the door. Her legs were wobbly and she almost stumbled. Ok, Steph, calm down. You can do this, she thought to herself.

Lester listened to the audio and could imagine the scene taking place in the office. He cringed at the sound of Cruinsey's slobbery lips on Steph's body. He exchanged glances with Bobby and Zip and saw they were thinking the same thing. They all had three thoughts. That fucker was dead, they were going to kill him, and something was wrong with Steph.

Steph stumbled toward the door, glad she was finally leading Cruinsey towards the elevator. Just at the last minute, Cruinsey grabbed her arm and threw her onto the couch and his flabby body crawled on top of her. His smell was overwhelming and she gagged with his weight pressing down on her. His hands were groping her. This was getting completely out of control.

Ram saw Cruinsey throw her on the couch and adjusted his angle to keep Cruinsey in his site. This fucker was practically raping her and Ram wanted it stopped. He tightened his finger on the trigger and had just opened his mouth to give the code for intervening when he heard Steph's breathless voice over the radio. " Ewww. I hate lizards."

Instantly the room was overflowing with movement and noise. Almost before the word lizard was out of Steph's mouth, the office door flew open and Bobby, Lester and Zip came in, guns drawn. Cruinsey had gotten up from the couch, bringing her up with him. At the same time, Junior and Hal came flying in through the balcony window, guns drawn, yelling. Different male versions of versions of "let her go and get on the ground fucker" filled the room. Steph tried to get to her feet but she was dizzy and she was sweating and , what the hell was happening?

In less than a minute, the guys had Cruinsey subdued and cuffed, and Tank was leading him out of the suite. Junior and Zip walked over to Steph and hugged her. " You did great sweetie. Are you ok?" Steph could barely hear them over the pounding in her head. She straightened and stumbled the few steps to them. " Um, guys? I don't feel so good."

Step felt her vision narrowing and she heard Junior yell for Bobby as Zip reached out to steady her. Steph's last sight before the blackness closed in was the surprised look on Zip's face as he took her weight when she collapsed in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

The Takedown-Part 3

Please leave a review as I thrive on them.

The takedown-Part 3

Stephanie was so relieved to see the guys burst into the room. She felt like shit, like she was going to pass out, but she hadn't been able to let go. Zip came up and put his arm around her. She didn't know Zip well, but she trusted that all the guys would take care of her. She remembered trying to talk to him, and then she couldn't hold off the darkness anymore. Her last thought was how surprised he looked when she collapsed in his arms.

Ram came running into the room and did a double take as he saw Steph on the floor, the guys bending over her. " What the fuck happened?" he looked expectantly at Bobby, who had arrived with his medic kit.." I dunno" ." Ram noticed that Steph's short skirt had ridden up and her cleavage was spilling out of her dress. She had to be cold. He took off his jacket and shoved her into it. That was when he noticed a huge, fresh needle mark in her arm.

*****************************************************************************

Steph slowly became aware of the annoying beeping and the stinging in her hand. She slowly forced her eyes to open. Shit. She was definitely in a hospital, but at least this bed was relatively comfortable. She turned her head and saw Ranger on a chair next to the bed, sound asleep. She didn't make a single movement as she didn't want to disturb him. He would hate if she told him this, but he looked absolutely adorable, slouched there in the chair, his black socked feet elevated on the corner of her bed.

It was odd to see Ranger, who was so lethal and badass looking so childlike and sweet. His face was relaxed in sleep, many of the worry lines softened, and he looked so much younger and innocent. The face that was usually so hard and devoid of emotion when he had "blankface" was now relaxed and peaceful, his lips slightly parted in sleep. The hands that could easily shoot a machine gun or break a bad guy's neck were now slightly curled and still on the arm of the chair. He had such beautiful long, black lashes. All the guys did. Steph thought it was damn unfair for a guy to have such beautiful lashes without the need for Maybelline. Lucky bastards.

She took a minute to watch him sleep, see the peaceful rise and fall of his chest. He did look cute. Well, cute except for the shoulder holster with a loaded Glock, the utility belt loaded with another gun and an additional ammo clip, and a knife in a sheath in his boot. She wondered how they had let him into the hospital when he was so heavily armed. He had probably given them one of those alpha-male looks of his.

She must have made some tiny involuntary noise or movement because his feet swung down from the bed and his body came upright in a single motion. His chocolate brown eyes met hers and his warm hand clasped hers and gave it a squeeze. "Welcome back, babe." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "We weren't sure exactly what that bastard gave you, so they wanted you in the hospital until they were sure it wasn't something that would cause permanent damage. You've been out for almost ten hours." Ok, she was awake and apparently none the worse for wear, except for a headache. She wanted to get the hell out of here.

Ram stood sentry outside the hospital room while Steph got dressed and ready to go. As usual when a mission didn't go as planned, he went over and over it in his mind. His hands clenched as he thought again about that ass Cruinsey putting his slimy hands on Steph. Fucker got what he deserved, though. Well, at least part of it. What he really deserved was to be in the crosshairs of Ram's rifle, having Ram's shot blow his head off. But, Ram and Tank had "accidentally" shoved Cruinsey down a couple flights of stairs and into a wall on the way to the police station, so the bastard was hurting plenty. Big Dog and the other cops had just laughed when Cruinsey wanted to press charges against Tank for assault. Most likely none of the cops wanted to have to try to cuff Tank.

The hospital room door opened and Ranger came out hand in hand with Steph. She stopped to hug Ram. "Sweetie, you look a lot better than the last time I saw you.", he said, hugging her tightly. Steph was smiling, but Ram knew she wouldn't be for long. Ranger had given explicit orders that Steph was to stay in his apartment in the seventh floor under Bobby's care and not allowed to leave the building for a day or so. Ram smiled. The guys would have to keep her occupied so she didn't try to leave the building. Either that or cuff her to the bed. Ram felt himself get hard at the thought of Steph cuffed to the bed, but ignored his discomfort and followed Ranger and Steph out of the building.

******************************************************************************

It had been almost a week since the "Cruinsey incident" as Steph called it. She hadn't been on a distraction since then. Ranger and the guys had been very solicitious and protective, as they always were for awhile after a takedown went bad. She chuckled. It was pathetic that so many distractions went bad for her that they had actually established a pattern. She bet that she was the subject of betting again. She hated when they bet on her, but she couldn't really be mad at them. Because they were so damn hot. And they had a point. Most of her distractions did end with her getting hurt or otherwise in trouble. She was pretty sure Lester ahd made a lot of money off the Cruinsey incident. But if Ranger found out there would be trouble. She sighed and finished up her last search and went into the breakroom for some water.

She passed the guys, sitting at a large table in the conference room , or, as Ranger called it, the "war room." Leave it to a bunch of ex-Special Forces guys to turn a perfectly nice conference room into strategy central. They were planning another takedown. From the way the buzz of their voices stopped and five pairs of male eyes looked at her as she walked by, she knew they needed her for another one.

******************************************************************************

Woody cringed as he watched the huge swarm of car salesmen descend on Steph like vultures on roadkill before she had even parked her shitty car at the curb. Ranger had been right that Steph would be the logical one to draw out Mike Cefone, currently employed at LotsaCars, and FTA wanted for armed robbery. Steph was to pose as a woman buying a car and get him into the car for a "test drive" on the side street , where the Rangemen would take him down. Used car salesmen positively preyed on beautiful, women out buying cars alone. The more helpless and clueless about cars, the better.

Woody was dressed as a Lotsacars mechanic and was about 50 yards from Steph. He knew that Ram was stationed across the side street with binoculars and a rifle, Ranger and Tank were waiting in an SUV parked just half a block away, and Lester had stuffed his massive body and several weapons into the trunk of a blue 2003 Honda Accord sedan with dents in the front door. The Accord was the target car, so they had also put a GPS tracker on it. Junior, Bobby, and Binkie were waiting on the secluded road just around the block where they planned to "take" Cefone.

Tank watched Steph park the ancient, battered piece of shit car at the curb and pour herself out of it. He almost swallowed his tongue trying not to gape when he saw the short shorts and tight fitting spaghetti strap tank top that hugged the curves of her Wonderbra enhanced cleavage. The cute high heeled shoes made her ass sway when she walked. Her hair was curled and teased and she had on a ton of mascara, lip gloss and huge earrings. The typical Jersey "burg" girl. Tank put his binoculars in his lap to hide his hard on from Ranger. He did NOT want to get sent to Siberia for getting turned on by Steph. Tank could see Cefone and the other salesman trying not to swallow their tongues as well. Steph was wearing a wire and through it he could hear Cefone approach her. " Well, hello there honey. We are having all kinds of specials today."

Ranger laughed as he saw Steph turn on her "dumb chick" act. Well, ok, maybe when it came to cars, the "dumb chick" thing wasn't an act. They had spent a lot of time prepping her with the answers for when the salesmen asked her car questions.

Woody was close enough to see the blank expression on Steph's face when Cefone asked her specific questions about what size engine she wanted. "Um, a big one?" Steph answered, batting her lashes. Woody grimaced, pretty sure that Steph's cluelessness wasn't an act. He knew she hadn't really been paying attention when he, Lester, and Ranger had prepped her on details about cars. She hadn't cared about "boring car stuff." But the act seemed to be working. "Um, I don't have a lot of money to spend. I'll need something older. I need something more um, mature than my old car." She pretended to be looking earnestly at the cars while she slowly worked her way towards the side of the lot to where the blue Accord was parked. Cefone smiled an oily smile and Woody could see Steph flinch for a moment when he touched her arm. "Well, this Accord is a sedan, so it is a more respectable car. And Hondas are very reliable." Steph looked at the price on the windshield. " Um, I can probably afford that. But my dad said I should never buy a car without test driving it. Can I do that?" Cefone said, "Sure, just leave your driver's license here and we'll take it for a spin."

Woody watched Steph make a big show of fishing in her purse and then handed Cefone the fake Jersey driver's license. She walked over to the car and made a point of walking completely around it, rubbing it, pretending to look for scratches and dents. She discreetly knocked on the lid of the trunk to signal Lester that they were just about to go. She heard a thump, a muffled "fuck" and a knock back. She had to hide her grin. Lester must be really uncomfortable in there. Good thing car trunks had panic cords inside so anyone trapped in the trunk could get themselves out. Otherwise, he would eventually suffocate. Cefone came back out of the office and he and Steph got into the Accord. "Ok, lets go."Woody spoke into his radio. "they're on the move." He saw Tank and Ranger in the SUV start to pull out from the curb.

Steph had pulled out of the lot and was just about to make a right turn onto a side street when Cefone pulled a gun and aimed it right at her.

" Shit, "she thought. "Why the hell did her takedowns always turn out like this?"


	4. Chapter 4

The Takedown-Part 4

Please leave reviews and let me knw what you think. I thrive on reviews- they are one of the pleasures of my life.

"Shit," She thought, why did her takedowns always turn out like this?

Part 4

Steph's eyes moved from the barrel of the small revolver to Cefone's beady eyes, which were staring maliciously at her. Shit. Now what? Did he know who she was? Or was she just the kind of random female that his sick little mind went after? She was driving down the street, just past where Ram was stationed. She had to let the guys know what was going on. " Um, why are you holding a gun on me? Do you do this to all the girls you test drive with?" She had said "hold the gun" just as she had passed Ram. She saw him by a black SUV, hunched over, pretending like he was looking under the hood, but with a rifle aimed at the Accord. He couldn't shoot, because she was in the way. She saw his mouth moving as she made eye contact with him. She imagined the guys were talking furiously amongst themselves about the latest fiasco Stephanie had gotten herself into and how to get her out of it.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked again. Cefone's beady eyes looked her up and down in a way that made her skin crawl. " Sweet thing like you. All alone. Perfect target." Steph had slowed down, and was relieved when she glanced in the rearview to see a large black SUV following them. Cefone looked out the back window, then waved the gun in front of her. "Drive faster , bitch. Take a right up here." Steph's eyes moved from the rearview to the shaking hand holding the gun on her. Now what the fuck should she do? Sure, she had about six guys running backup for her, but that wouldn't do her any good if she got shot in the meantime. Why did shit like this always happen to her?

***********************************************************************************************************************

As soon as the Accord had left the lot, Ranger and Tank had left their spot half a block down the road and followed discreetly behind it. As soon as they heard Steph's tremulous voice say, " Why are you holding a gun on me?" Ranger's blank expression turned to one of extreme anger. Fuck. Why did shit like this always happen when Steph was on a takedown? This was exactly why he hated using her for this kind of stuff. Sure, he had six guys covering her, but that did no good when she was alone in a car with a maniac with a gun. If that fucker hurt her… his hands clenched into tight fists on the steering wheel, then he forced himself to breathe out and relax. He had to stay calm and focused. This was a mission like any other. If he paniced or got emotional and did something stupid, Steph would die. Tank looked at him and knew what he was feeling. "Don't worry Ranger, she'll be alright. She has more lives than a cat."

He heard Ram's voice on the radio. " Just passed me doing about 35. Steph seemed ok. Cefone has a small caliber handgun, probably a 22 aimed at her. I am joining pursuit." Tanks waited for Ranger to answer but Ranger seemed to be in a zone. Tank issued the order, "Ram, get parallel on the right side of the car if you can. Be ready to take a shot when ordered." They could hear Ram shut the hood and get into the SUV then race behind Steph.

Ranger gassed the huge SUV and shot up the road to follow closely on the Accord. He saw Cefone glance out the back window and blanch, then wave the gun wildly at Steph. He backed off on the accelerator and the SUV fell back a bit from the Accord. He was mad as hell, but he wasn't going to scare Cefone into doing something desperate and crazy like shoot Steph.

Ranger snapped himself out of his reverie. The guys could handle this situation alone if they had to , but he was their leader. They were waiting for him to give orders. He watched the GPS blip on the screen heading towards the street where Bobby, Junior and Binkie waited. If she could just get to where they are, they could ambush Cefone. " Rangeman 1 to Rangeman 2." Lester's muffled voice came over the radio. "Rangeman 2 standing by. I can release and jump out when directed." "Rangeman 1 to Rangeman 3."

Bobby's voice came on the line. "Rangeman 3 standing by. Target car is heading our way, about three streets down, about to cross Main." Ranger said, "Ok, lets hope she can get to where you are and then lets ambush him." The radio became unearthly quit as all the guys listened intently for any voice or movement from Steph's wire.

*************************************************************************************************************************

Steph's eyes kept moving from the rearview mirror to the Cefone's shaking hand holding the gun inches from her temple. He seemed nervous, like he wasn't sure what was going on. She noticed a huge SUV pull up into the right hand lane and pass her. Her eyes met Ram's dark brown ones as he tried to convey a look or reassurance to her through the glass. She saw that he had a rifle. Ok, that was good. She had Ram beside her and Lester in the trunk. Oh, she'd forgotten about Lester.

Cefone looked at her. "Where's your purse, bitch?" "its um, lemme find it." She took her left hand off the wheel and appeared to fumble around searching for her purse. Her left hand found and pulled the trunk release lever. She cringed, hoping that the trunk wouldn't come flying open and attract Cefone's attention. Cefone was watching her root around for her purse so he didn't notice her surreptitious glance in the rearview mirror. The trunk unlatched and opened just the tiniest bit. She hoped Cefone wouldn't notice.

The movement of Steph's shoulders as she rooted under the seat made her already low cut top droop further and exposed just a hint of the black plastic wire taped to her chest. But just a bit was too much. Cefone's eyes had been on her like a letch and he had noticed the black wire. "hey, what's that?" Shit, Steph thought, realizing too late what had happened. "What?" she said, hoping the innocent act would work. Cefone's right hand kept the gun pointed on her while his left reached over and grabbed at her shirt. She swerved in surprise as he reached under her shirt and pulled off the wire. "What the fuck is this? Who the fuck are you , a cop?" he backhanded her with his left fist and she felt her neck snap to the right. She swerved and almost lost control of the car, before her vision cleared and she straitened up the wheel again. "Just keep driving, bitch. I hate cops." He smashed the wire below his foot and threw it in the glove box.

*************************************************************************************************************************

Bobby cringed as he heard the conversation in the car through the wire. Shit. Cefone found her wire. That meant the whole situation went to a new level of FUBAR. He and Binkie exchanged worried looks as they heard Steph try to play it off and then the unmistakable sound of a smack. The car was close enough they could see it in the distance now, and they could see it swerve violently and then lurch back into its own lane. That scared the guys shitless, but even scarier was the static that was now the only sound coming from the wire.

Ram's voice came over the radio. "Rangeman 4 to the right and slightly behind target car. That fucker found the wire. Then, he hit her." All the guys could hear the deadly ominous tone of Ram's voice. Ranger was the boss and the only Rangeman more lethal than Ram. Ram was also not someone you wanted to piss off, as he was deadly and had no problem killing if he felt it was justified. And he was very protective of Steph. Bobby almost felt sorry for Cefone, because Ranger and Ram were both going to painfully fuck him up when they caught him. Except they might have to stand in line behind Bobby, Binkie and Junior, all of whom were itching to blow the asshole's brains out.

***********************************************************************************************************************

Ranger followed behind and a little back from the crappy Accord, weighing his options. Cefone was pissed now that he had found Steph's wire. And Ranger was pissed that that bastard had touched her. Cefone was a dead fucker. What pain Ranger didn't inflict on him, the guys would. He could see Cefone sitting sideways in the seat, waving the gun just inches from Steph's head. She had slowed down quite a bit, but they had veered from the intended path and bypassed the street where Bobby, Binkie, and Junior were waiting. Cefone waved his gun and Steph made a sudden left turn across three lanes of traffic, leaving cars honking in their wake. Ranger had to whip a fast U-turn to catch up to them. He saw Ram's SUV flanking the Accord on the right. The trunk of the Accord was open just enough to reveal Lester's rifle.

Ranger had been in communication with the guys and they had hatched a plan. A plan that hopefully wouldn't get Steph killed. "Rangeman 1 to Rangeman 4- go, go, go. He watched Ram's SUV decelerate, fall behind, then come up on the left side of the Accord. Ranger raced past to pass the Accord on the right and get in front of it. Shit. This plan had better work. If Steph survived this, he was never letting her out into the field again.

**************************************************************************************************************************

Steph had slowed down as Cefone was ranting like a maniac next to her. He was looking through her purse, pissed that she's only had $12 in her wallet. Well, what the fuck did he expect? If she had a lot of money, would she be shopping at a shitty used car place? He had also found her gun and now he was really pissed.

Steph noticed movement on her left and saw a huge SUV pull up next to the Accord. Her eyes searched and found Ram's. She just stared into his brown eyes for a minute, trying to calm down. She knew Ranger and the guys were calm, so she had to be. Steph looked and saw that Cefone was still going through her wallet, hoping to find credit cards. She looked back at Ram, who motioned to his seatbelt. Steph hadn't put hers on when she got in. Shit. She had a gun pointed at her, why did Ram care if she had a seatbelt on? Still, she did what he said, knowing there must be a plan. She reached over and grabbed her seatbelt. " I don't like driving without my seatbelt on, it isn't safe." Cefone looked at her like she was crazy, then dumped her whole purse onto his lap.

Steph looked up and saw another huge SUV in front of her, Ranger's beautiful dark head in the driver's seat, Tank's bald one next to him. He was driving slowly and forcing her to slow down even more. Behind her was a third SUV, with Bobby at the wheel and Binkie shotgun. For some reason, just the presence of Ranger and the guys surrounding her made her feel less scared. Like she didn't still have a loser with a gun pointed at her head. Somehow, though, she felt like the guys would make it alright. It's what they did. They took fucked up situations and made them turn out ok. Cefone was in his own little world and didn't seem to notice that they were surrounded by giant black SUVs. Steph looked calmly to her left and made eye contact with Ram again. Whatever they were planning , she was ready.

**************************************************************************************************************************

Lester's muscles ached from having been curled up in the trunk of the Accord, but as soon as Steph had popped the trunk, he uncoiled himself and got ready. The sat up just enough to be able to point his rifle low over the back of the car towards Cefone. Bobby's SUV was close enough behind the Accord that Bobby could see Bobby's mouth as he spoke into the radio. "Rangeman 3 to Rangeman 1 in position behind target car. " Lester answered, Rangeman 2 in trunk, standing by for go."

**************************************************************************************************************************

Ram watched Steph put on her seatbelt and noticed that Cefone's gun was still pointed at her head, although his attention seemed to be wavering a bit between Steph and the SUV in front of him. Ram waited until Steph's eyes met his, then he mouthed, 'slow down." Steph slowed and Ram moved his huge SUV from the left lane over the line into her lane. Shit. He had to be careful how he did this. His vehicle weighed a hell of a lot more than that shitty Accord did. He wanted to force the Accord over, not send them spinning uncontrollably. He slowed down and turned the wheel slowly until the side of the SUV barely made contact with the left side of the Accord, in the front panel of the car.

Cefone's hand lurched as the Accord jolted hard to the right and slowed. Lester took the opportunity to stand up and jump out of the trunk, landing hard and rolling on the road. Ranger's SUV in front was much heavier than the Accord, so it would stop the Accord from spinning out of control.

Steph felt the Accord lurch to the right at the relatively light tap from Ram's SUV. The force of the jolt caused Cefone's hand to sway and he fired a few stray shots to the front of the car. The Accord screeched to a hard stop and slid slightly. Steph felt pain in her neck as the seatbelt tightened automatically and she felt pain in her head and then the suffocating pressure of the airbag. Her right shoulder had been grazed by one of Cefone's stray bullets.

The car had barely come to a stop before she felt movement and muffled shouts. She felt dazed and breathless as she tried to lift her head out of the massive airbag. She forced an eye open and saw six huge guys surrounding the vehicle, weapons aimed at Cefone. He was flailing out of his airbag, gun still in his hand. "Drop it fucker," she heard Lester's voice from somewhere close on her right. She saw Lester, his gun against Cefone's temple, his other hand reaching around to get the gun out of his hand.

Steph looked around, still dazed from the force of the airbag, and saw action all around her. Lester, and Binkie were grabbing Cefone and pulling him roughly out of the car, dragging him to the ground and cuffing him. The guys were being as rough as possible on him, taking out their anger for what he tried to do to Steph. Binkie had "accidentally" twisted Cefone's arm while cuffing him and breaking it. Lester was so 'clumsy" that he tripped Cefone twice.

Steph was still trying to fight her way out of the airbag, the breath knocked out of her by the force of its deployment. Ranger and Ram came over to her and gently extricated her. She heard Bobby say, " Don't move her. She might have a neck injury." She heard someone- Junior?- talking about an ambulance. "No ammfff.." she muttered, as two sets of strong hands pulled her out of the airbag. "Babe, are you ok?", Ranger asked, looking into her still dazed face. "mokay," she mumbled as strong hands unbuckled her seatbelt. Ram slid in next to her and looked at her face, covered with a growing bruise from the smack Cefone had given her and the blood on her neck from where the seatbelt had cut her. Ram cut the airbag with a knife and deflated it. Ranger's arms slipped around her and she settled against his chest.

Bobby was still talking about a hospital, but she wasn't about to go there. " No hospital. I'm ok, just sore ribs from the seatbelt and a bruise. Ranger gave Junior a look and he got back on the phone and cancelled the ambulance. Ranger put her in the backseat of the SUV and Bobby sat next to her, holding a bandage to the bleeding cuts on her neck and shoulder. Shit. Cops had started to arrive and she didn't want to see Morelli. Binkie and Junior stayed to deal with the cops while Ram, Ranger and Bobby took Steph home.

Ten minutes later, Steph was grimacing against the pain and squeezing the two strong hands in her own as Bobby's needle cut through her flesh. The cuts on her forehead and shoulder needed stitches and she had refused to go to the hospital. She trusted Bobby to do it more than some stupid doctor. And Ranger and Ram had both stayed with her, each of them was grasping one of her hands. The topical anesthetic Bobby had given her didn't work worth shit. " Ok, sweetie," he said, finishing up the final stitch. You should be as good as new in a week. It won't even leave a scar." He kissed me on the forehead and said that I should go get some rest.

Thirty minutes later, I had bathed and was lying on Ranger's couch, curled against his muscular chest, covered with a soft quilt, dozing peacefully. There was a movie on TV but I wasn't really paying attention to it, the steady, rhythmic rise and fall of Ranger's chest against me was lulling me to sleep. I was just slipping into sleep when I felt him kiss my forehead gently. " I swear to God, every time you do a takedown, bad shit happens. You are never doing a takedown again."

I smiled slightly, "We'll see," I thought,then I drifted off to sleep against Ranger's warm body.


	5. Chapter 5

The Takedown- Chapter 5

I know it has been awhile, but I have some time now, so I am writing. Please leave reviews, as they motivate me. They help me write faster.

Steph's POV

It had been three weeks since that takedown at the car dealership. Ranger had me doing searches to "keep me safe" and I was seriously bored. I passed Ranger's office. The door was slightly open, and I could hear muffled voices. Ranger's , and I think Ram's. I couldn't tell exactly what they were saying, but I heard the words "Steph" and "bomber." I sidled up to the door and pressed my ear to the wall, trying to listen. Damn. Why couldn't they talk louder? Oh, right. Cause they were experts in stealth. I stood , pressed flat against the wall, squinting, trying to listen. Ranger's phone rang, then I heard his voice. " Report." Then I heard the squeak of his chair, and suddenly the door was flung wide open and his handsome face was right before my eyes. He had a stern expression on his face!

"Babe, what the hell are you doing?", he asked. I think it was a rhetorical question since he caught me with my ear to the wall, eavesdropping. I put on my sweet innocent little smile. " Um, I thought I saw a termite, so I was listening to hear if there were any more crawling around in the walls." Ranger just stared at me, blankfaced, as if offended I might even suggest a termite would dare live in HIS walls.

"How did you know I was here?, " I asked, trying for innocence. The corners of his mouth pointed upward just the tiniest bit and I could tell he was trying not to smile. He pointed to the security camera mounted directly opposite me. It showed me, clear as day, standing there with my ear to the wall. " Bobby called from the control room wanting to know if you had accidentally gotten your ear stuck to the wall." I turned to the camera and stuck my tongue out at Bobby. Traitor. Ranger pulled me into his office just as the phone rang again. He picked it up and smiled, then hung up again. "Bobby said he loves you, too."

I sat in Ranger's office, surrounded by Ranger and Ram. " Hey, sweetie," Ram said, flashing me one of his gorgeous smiles. Damn. Why do all the guys have to be so damn sexy? I sat, waiting for them to finish their conversation about me, but they just sat there in silence. "Well," I said, what were you talking about? Ram and Ranger exchanged looks, then Ram answered cryptically, " We were making plans for a takedown." Geez. Getting info from them was like talking to a wall. " Well, I heard my name. What were you saying about me?" The two of them just exchanged another of those infuriating male looks and Ranger said, " We were debating whether or not we can risk using you for this one." Risk using me? I think that was an insult. " Why is using me a risk?" Ram looked at me like I was a live grenade he was afraid would explode in his face. " Well, um, sweetie, when you do takedowns, um, something bad always happens. We're not sure that we can risk that again." " Not always" I said defensively. They looked at me knowingly. " well, ok, always." I said. "But I can do takedowns without creating a disaster. And the one at the car dealership wasn't my fault." Ranger looked at me for a long time, then relented, nodding at Ram, who looked doubtful.

" Ok, we are planning a takedown of Steve Jenkins. He works at the Fix It Up home improvement store." I knew the Fix It Up. It was a mom and pop type hardware/home improvement store. " Steve is wanted for armed robbery and assault, so really none of us want you anywhere near him. But you could actually help us on this one. Steve knows we are after him, so he hasn't been home in five days. The only way we'll get him is at work. He also knows what Ranger, Lester, and I look like, so if he sees us, he'll take off. "

Ranger finally spoke. " But a cute woman like you, looking all helpless in a hardware store, he'd never suspect a thing." " Hey, I wouldn't be helpless in a hardware store," I said indignantly. Ram smiled that gorgeous smile and looked at me indulgently. Damn. " Ok, sweetie, what is the best kind of drill bit for a rotary hammer drill?" They both looked at me smugly, knowing damn well that I had no idea. " Ok, ok , I would be helpless in a hardware store." Ram smiled and ruffled my hair affectionately. " We'll send you in and you ask him for help with something, get close and snap the cuffs on him. Simple." Except with me , nothing was ever simple.

Ranger's POV

We decided to go in at about 7:00pm. It was almost closing time, so the store would be relatively empty. We didn't need bystanders around as collateral damage. Steph was going in wired, just in case. With Steph, you never know what will happen and I don't want her in danger again. She looked really sexy in denim shorts, a white tank top, and cute little tennis shoes. " I can never get these damn wires placed right. Will you help me? " I grinned and pulled her close to me. My hand with the wire worked its way under her shirt, up her abdomen, to the underside of her left breast. I fastened the receiver to the underside of her breast, held there by her bra. My fingers lingered there for a moment, and one of them grazed her nipple. I heard her breath break in a sigh and she shivered as my hand slowly worked its way out of her shirt, my fingers lightly brushing her abs. I looked into her eyes and grinned.

"hmm-mmm" Ram had entered the room, saw my hand up her shirt, and made his presence known. I quickly pulled my hand out and moved towards him, giving Steph a chance to recover. Ram grinned at her slightly, " We're good to go, boss. Woody is dressed as a cashier and Bobby will be in the store posing as another customer. They will both have visual. Tank, Ranger and I will be outside the back entrance. Tank and Hal are at the front. Steph has the wire. So we can hear everything. She also has a panic button in her pocket. "

Steph's POV

I didn't have a gun this time, but I did have a set of cuffs. I knew the guys were close and all I had to do was push the panic button and they'd be there. I felt safe. I knew they'd never let me get seriously hurt. Ram smiled at me, " Be careful, sweetie." Ranger hugged me and gave me a kiss on the head. " All set?" I was ready. After all, how hard could this be?

I entered the Fix It Up and immediately saw Woody, dressed in an orange apron , standing at the register. Who knew a Rangeman would look hot even in a nasty orange apron? I knew he had at least one gun on him somewhere. " Welcome to Fix It Up" he said, giving me a reassuring smile. He talked into a mike and I knew he was updating the guys that I was in the store. I walked up to Jenkins. He was a scrawny looking guy about 23 or so, with an orange apron and a nametag that read "Steve."

I pretended to be looking around, clueless. Well, the clueless part wasn't pretend, I really was clueless in hardware stores. I went up to Steve and flashed him my best innocent smile. "Um, I really need a …" Oh, fuck. I couldn't remember what Ram told me the name of the nail was. I mean rally, a nail is a nail isn't it? Ram had told me the name of the nail about five times. Something with a joust , and deformed. Shit. I took the one out of my pocket and held it up. I smiled, " I knew I couldn't remember the name, so I thought I should bring one." Steve knew what it was. Of course, he was a guy. " That's a joist hanger nail with a deformed shank." That sounded like what Ram had said. " Um, yeah. Can you show me where these are? All nails look the same to me."

I followed Steve three rows over, and made eye contact with Bobby, who was at the end of the row, dressed in jeans and a work shirt. He moved to the top of the row. I could see his lips move slightly and I knew he was telling the guys exactly where we were in the store. Steve led me to a set of shelves with a bunch of tiny little drawers. " All the nails are here. We just have to look in the little boxes." I moved very close to him and pulled out a box, pretending to be looking for the nail. I pulled my cuffs out of my pocket. We were looking through all the drawers and when we got to the last drawers we were so close we were touching. I opened my cuffs and started to latch them to his wrists. " Bond enforceme…." I yelled. Steve pulled away and managed to slip out of the cuffs before I could fasten them around his wrist. He pushed me and I fell on my ass on the cement floor. Steve took off towards the back of the store.

Bobby came running and knelt down next to me. "Steph.. are you …? " "I'm fine," I yelled, go after him. Bobby looked doubtful for a minute, then pulled his gun and took off after Steve. I could see Woody running, his gun in his hand. I could hear commotion as guys chased Steve, and secured both exits so he couldn't escape.

From the commotion, it sounded like the guys had him cornered in the back of the store. I ran back there. Steve was in a storeroom in back. Woody and Bobby were creeping up on him, guns drawn, safeties off. Bobby saw me and motioned me to stay put and take cover. I hunkered down behind a giant shelf filled with paint cans and some other stuff in cans and jars. The guys went in and there was shooting. I stayed down behind the paint because bullets were flying. A few bullets hit the cans, sending paint leaking everywhere. Some of it dribbled onto me. Great. Why do I always get covered in stuff? None of the guys ever got covered in stuff.

Maybe they hit a fusebox because the lights went out. Steve ran out of the storeroom with a fire extinguisher in his hand, spraying it everywhere. The mist was so thick, it was hard to see, and I knew the guys couldn't see to shoot. The emergency lights came on, but they were very dim and I couldn't see very well.

Steve sprinted out past the paint rack, grabbing it and pulling it over. I heard running feet, and at least one of the guys was running after him. The paint shelf swayed, then toppled with a giant crash. Paint and other stuff came crashing down to the cement floor, cans and jars bursting open, spilling into a giant multicolored puddle. The huge shelf fell between me and the guys, so I couldn't get to them. I was between the wall and the fallen shelf. Some chemical had opened and it smelled terrible, I started to climb over the fallen shelf. I could hear Woody yelling "Stephanie!"

Fumes were rising from the crap that had spilled and they smelled terrible. There were no windows in this part of the store, so nowhere for the fumes to go. I pressed my panic button and tried to climb over the shelf, but the spilled paint made it sticky and slippery, and I kept sliding back.. I heard a "thupt" sound and then a giant BOOM! as the paint in the cans had reacted with who knew what and caught on fire. The fire didn't look big, but smoke was everywhere. I could hear the guys voices, yelling "Steph!" I tried to yell, but the fumes were in my throat, making my voice come out in a croak. Shit. Ram was right. Bad shit happens whenever I do a takedown.


	6. Chapter 6

The Takedown- Chapter 6

This is a shorter chapter, but I wanted to get it out. Please leave feedback, even if you hate it.

Steph's POV

Shit. The fire was getting bigger and the smoke was unbearable. I couldn't see or breathe. I looked around frantically, but saw no windows or exits I could reach. My panic button was flashing , so I knew the guys would know I was in trouble. I tried to scramble over the giant paint shelf one handed- trying to cover my mouth and nose with my shirt with the other hand. I was coughing so hard that it made crawling difficult. I tried not to breathe too much because I knew every breath was filling my lungs with smoke and crap.

Climbing the shelf was hard because it was slick with spilled paint and chemicals. There was debris everywhere. Plus, the sprinklers had come on and they made everything slicker. They didn't seem to be helping much with the fire or the smoke, though. I heard the guys yelling, but every time I tried to yell back, I just started coughing violently.

I climbed up and managed to get almost to the top when several more of the cans exploded. The explosion knocked me back and something hit me on the head, and I felt stuff falling on top of me. I felt myself falling back into the darkness, scared now that I might possibly die. My last conscious thought was that if I lived through this, Ranger would kill me.

Bobby's POV

The store was almost pitch black, the damn emergency lights not helping at all. There were no windows in the back of the store, so the chemical fumes and smoke were everywhere. I couldn't see more than a few inches in front of me. " Ranger, did Steph come out? " I said into my mike. I looked through the thick smoke , trying to see. " Negative, she has not come out either exit. We're sending a couple guys in." Shit. That meant she was still in here somewhere. "Steph? I yelled. " Steph, where are you?" I stumbled towards the paint section, the last place I had seen her. My mike crackled. " She activated her panic button. That tells us she is in the store, probably the back, but I can't get more specific than that." Lester's voice was worried, and I could hear the commotion outside as they all tried to get in.

" Stephanie! Where are you?" I yelled, feeling my way with one hand and holding my shirt over my mouth with the other. I got low to the ground and crawled. I could hear Woody, too, somewhere, shouting Steph's name. I felt a hand on my shoulder and nearly jumped to the ceiling. Behind me were Ranger and Ram wearing gas masks. Their voices were muffled, but I heard Ranger say, "Ram, Tank and I will take over. You and Woody get outside. Lester has the O2 from your medical kit. Trenton FD is on the way." Tank grabbed me and helped me stand up, I could barely breathe I was coughing so hard. " I think Steph is back by the paints," " I yelled. It was hard to yell or even talk with the smoke crowding my lungs. " We'll find her," Ranger said. I saw the look in his eyes and I knew he would.

Ranger's POV

Ram and I crawled across the floor, yelling for Steph constantly. I knew our voices were muffled from the masks, but I hoped she could still hear us. The paint area was where the fire started and the smoke was mixed with paint and chemical fumes, making the air here worse than anywhere else. I fumbled along by where the paint shelf had fallen. " I yelled. Stephanie!"

I was crawling over the giant shelf when I saw a dirty white tennis shoe sticking out about halfway down the fallen shelf. Steph's. I followed the shoe and saw a small form lying diagonally across the other side of the shelf. It wasn't moving. "Stephanie. Can you hear me? I yelled, as Ram and I scrambled to get to her. It looked like she had tried to crawl over and fallen back down. Ram reached her first and saw she was unconscious a wound on her forehead. I knew she could have a back or neck injury, but moving her out of the smoke and fire had to come first. I staggered up. "Steph." I reached her and turned her over. I was pretty sure she wasn't breathing. Fuck. We needed to get her out of here.

We pulled her out, and as carefully as I could I threw her over my shoulder. I was coughing and sputtering. It was hard to move let alone carry Steph, but Ram and I managed. I heard Ram speaking into his mike, "We found her. Taking her out the back delivery door. We need the medic kit and the O2 and get an ambulance." Ram and I scrambled through the delivery door and outside.

I managed to get Steph on the ground fairly gently. Her face was covered with soot. She had paint and all over her, and she was soaking wet. There was a gash on her head, and she wasn't breathing. I grabbed the O2 from the medic kit while Ram crouched low over her. He wasted no time in covering her mouth with his, and began delivering powerful breaths, inflating her lungs. Lester and Tank came over and covered her with blankets. I sat numbly, stroking her hand, thinking that she had to be ok, no other outcome was acceptable. We all watched worriedly as Ram continued his rhythm, delivering breaths with precise timing. It seemed like an eternity, but it was probably only a minute or two, when Steph's lips finally moved under Ram's and she sputtered and started coughing and gasping for air. Ram sat up and sighed and his look of relief mirrored my own as I covered her face with the oxygen mask. By now the medics, had arrived, and they began examining her and bundling her onto a stretcher.

Steph's POV

I spent two days in the hospital, which of course, I hated. Something about my lungs being burned from t he smoke and chemicals. It was ok, though, because Ranger made Bobby and Woody go , too. HAHAHAHAHAHA. . At least I wasn't the only one this time. Bobby is Mr. Medic, bet it sucks for him to be the one going to the hospital this time instead of sending someone else. That'll teach him. The problem was that my throat was still affected by the smoke, and all I could do was whisper or make this annoying croaking noise. So, of course, the guys loved that.

Of course, Ranger was so sweet. He stayed with me the whole two days and he even sat in the bed with me and watched the DVD of "Confessions of A Shopaholic" with me. Can you believe that? Ranger watching a chick flick with me?. I guess he is so happy I am ok that he'll do almost anything. It has to be our little secret , though, since Ranger swears if any of the guys find out about it his street cred and badass rep is ruined. Hmmmm…that may be good ammo for getting what I want next time.

I understand that Lester and Ram won some money from the " will Steph screw up on the next takedown" pool. I was planning on starting a "which Rangeman will I castrate for making fun of Steph when it wasn't her fault" pool. Really? How was it MY fault that Steve Jenkins pulled down the paint cans and started a fire? That one is totally not my doing. Apparently, the Trenton police and fire departments also have " Bombshell Bounty Hunter" polls going, with the cops and firefighters betting on when, where, and how bad the next Stephanie Plum disaster will be. Bet Morelli is loving that one. Asshole.

The day I came home, Ram and Lester picked me and Ranger up at the hospital. Ram is my new favorite Rangeman after Ranger, since he did save my life and all. Of course, almost all the guys have saved me at one time or another . I gave Ram a kiss to thank him for saving me, which he of course tried to prolong. Perv. He smiled and said," No problem , honey. Its sort of what we Rangemen do. Get Steph out of bad situations. Its even on our business cards." Smartass. Those bad situations that are totally not my fault.

" Hey, babe, " Ranger's deep voice pulls me out of my daydream as he comes out of his office. "Come on up to seven when you are done with that search and we'll have dinner. It'll be nice and peaceful since you can't really talk. " I gave him a scorching look and wrote on a Post –It, "Can we watch " Mamma Mia?" He cringed, kissed me on the forehead and said, " don't push your luck." He swaggered away and I watched his tight ass, savoring his hotness. Damn. I was a lucky girl.


End file.
